Janko Tipsarevic rallies past Fernando Verdasco into the round of 16 – Rogers Cup 2011
World number 24 Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia defeated Spanish Fernando Verdasco, ranked 20th in the world, in three sets 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3 in the second round at the Rogers Cup in Montreal on Wednesday. The Serbian needed
two hours and 58 minutes to win a marathon match.
Tipsarevic drew the first blood as he broke Verdasco in the opening game of the first set to take a 1-0 lead but Verdasco broke back immediately to level the score at 1-1. The Serbian and the Spaniard held their serve in the next
six games to take the score to 4-4. Tipsarevic broke Verdasco in the seventh game and this time he held his serve in the next game to win the set 6-4.
The Serbian delivered 43 percent of the first serves, sealing eleven of the thirteen points on them. The 27-year-old did not perform well on his second serve, committing three double faults and claiming just nine of the nineteen
second service points in the opening set. Tipsarevic returned very well as he claimed twelve of the 28 first return points and eight of the thirteen second return points. The Serbian capitalised on two of the six break point opportunities he created on Verdasco’s
serve and failed to save the one break point he faced on his own serve in the first set.
Tipsarevic and Verdasco each failed to hold their serve on three occasions in the third set, squaring off the score at 6-6 and forcing a tie-break. The Spaniard won a single mini-break in the tie-break to capture it 7-5.
Verdasco was too erratic on his second serve, committing a horrible seven double faults and winning just five of the twenty second service points in the second set. The Spaniard, however, covered with his first serve as he fired
four aces and sealed 25 of the 40 points on the first serve in the second set.
In the deciding set, Verdasco and the Serbian held their serve in the first seven games to take the score to 4-3 in the latter’s favour. Tipsarevic hit the final blow as he broke the Spaniard in the eighth game and served out the
set at 5-3.
The Serbian relied on his first serve to win most of the points as he converted a whopping eighteen of the 22 first serves into points in the final set. The right-handed hit a single ace and claimed one of the two break points
he received in the deciding set.
Tipsarevic will meet world number 41 Ivan Dodig of Croatia in the second round.
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